Cutter is city’s new assistant fire chief His family’s firefighting history harks back to the 1860s

Thursday

Aug 28, 2014 at 3:15 AM

By Ellen W. Todd

Sanford News Writer

SANFORD — The city’s new assistant fire chief, Stephen J. Cutter, is a fourth-generation firefighter and former chief of the Newburyport (Massachusetts) Fire Department.

Introducing the new assistant chief at last week’s council meeting, Sanford Fire Chief Steven Benotti called Cutter “a very easygoing, knowledgeable, competent person” who will be “a great asset to the city of Sanford.”

Cutter began his career as a call firefighter in Newburyport in 1978 and rose through the ranks, becoming chief in 2000. He retired from the Newburyport Fire Department in 2013, but has been a call firefighter in the town of West Newbury since retiring.

Cutter said in an interview last week that his family’s history of firefighting goes back to the 1860s and that his great grandfather was the chief of the Newburyport Fire Department in the 1930s, his grandfather was assistant chief, and his father was also the fire chief during his career.

He has two brothers who are Newburyport firefighters and two nephews who are also firefighters.

Cutter’s credentials go far beyond heredity, however. He has an Associate degree in fire protection technology and earned a Bachelor’s degree in applied business studies — management at New Hampshire College (Southern New Hampshire University). He is also a registered paramedic and a Massachusetts-certified hazardous materials technician and fire inspector.

Cutter was also Newburyport’s emergency management director for three years and was chair of the local emergency planning committee from 2004 to 2013. He was on the board of directors of the Northeast Regional Emergency Planning Committee from 2006 to 2012 and served as vice-chair from 2010 to 2012. He served on Massachusetts’ District 6 Hazardous Materials Response Team, the statewide Hazardous Materials Overhead Management Team and the statewide Hazardous Materials Maritime Response Team. He has also taught several fire and hazardous materials courses and has been a member of a number of organizations, including the Greater Newburyport Red Cross and the National Ski Patrol.

Cutter’s wife, Paula (Weinert), grew up in Sanford and graduated from Sanford High School. She has four children from her first marriage, all of whom are grown.

In his free time, Cutter said he likes to fish, play golf and do woodworking. He and Paula also like to garden, hang out with their two dogs and spend time with the kids.

Cutter and Chief Benotti have known each other for about 30 years, and the new assistant chief said he is looking forward to working with Benotti and “all the other personnel here.”